Not Your Average Quidditch Fan
by Nirselen
Summary: 18-year-old Lily Evans and her friend Arabella Figg win tickets to the Quidditch World Cup and a private dinner with star-Chaser James Potter. (full summary inside) Yes folks, this is the non-cliche L/J Fic you've been waiting for! So come on in and enjoy
1. Prologue

A/N: Hey everyone! After reading several hundred Lily/James fics, I'm FINALLY writing one of my own. But this one will be different. There are FAR too many trite, boring, cliché fics out there, so I'm going for something special. This one is set post Hogwarts, and its not love/hate! So please read on and REVIEW!!!

Summary: Lily Evans is 18 and fresh out of her seventh year at Hogwarts. When Lily wins a contest sponsored by the International Association of Quidditch, she and her friend Arabella Figg find themselves in possession of front row tickets to the Quidditch World Cup and a private interview with star-Chaser James Potter. James is less than enthusiastic about this arrangement, but what happens when he finds out that Lily is not your average Quidditch fan?

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*~*PROLOGUE*~*

Tap. Tap. Tap. Lily looked over the top of her morning paper and out the front window to see a huge brown owl tapping against the glass. With a sigh, she set down the paper, walked to the window and opened it. The owl glided in and landed on the back of her sofa. Hooting softly, it dropped a small roll of parchment into her hand. "Thank you," Lily said, "Hold on while I get my moneybag." She left the room quickly and the owl preened her feathers as she waited. A few moments later, Lily returned, moneybag in hand. She rummaged through it to find the appropriate change and placed it in the bag around the owl's neck. With one last hoot, the owl took off through the window, disappearing into the clear morning sky.

Sitting down on the sofa, Lily opened the parchment and began reading her letter. Her eyes widened and a grin spread across her face. Clutching the letter tightly she ran down the hall to the door of her friend's bedroom. "Bella, wake up!" she called. No answer. "Bella! Arabella! Get up!" Still no answer. Exasperated, she threw open the door. Rushing to the bed, she yanked the covers off her sleeping flat-mate and yelled, "Arabella Figg wake up this instant!"

With a groan, Arabella sat up and slowly opened her ice blue eyes. "Alright, alright, Lils. I'm awake. Happy?"

"Read this," Lily said and shoved the letter in her face.

Taking the letter, Arabella leaned back against the pillows and started to read it. "Oh. My. God." She gasped, "No way. Lils, we won! We _won!_" With a cry of joy, she sprang out of bed, grabbed Lily by the waist and danced ecstatically around the room, both of them shouting for joy.

"Isn't it great?" Lily asked, when she could breathe again, "We're actually going to the Quidditch World Cup! Think of all the awesome plays we'll see! And all the souvenirs!"

Grinning mischieviously, Arabella replied, "Actually, Lils dear, it was the players I was looking forward to seeing. Especially that Chaser for Puddlemere United. What was his name again?"

"Oh you mean James Potter? He's the best Chaser I've seen in years!"

"And the best looking."

Lily sighed and shook her head. "That's all you care about isn't it, Bella?"

"But of course!" Arabella replied.

"Whatever. When do we get the tickets?"

"Lemme check." She sat down on her bed and read the letter all the way throught. "Wow Lils," she breathed, "Listen to this, 'After the game, you will receive a private dinner with Quidditch-Star James Potter, courtesty of the IAQ.' IAQ? What's that?"

"Gosh, Bella, don't you know _anything _about Quidditch? IAQ stands for International Association of Quidditch. They're the ones who sponsored the contest."

"Oh ok," Arabella said offhandedly. She stared off into space, "We get to eat dinner with James Potter. Boy are we lucky." Leaping off the bed, she grabbed Lily's hand. "C'mon, Lils. We've gotta go shopping! Nothing but the best for Mr. James Potter, you know. This is the chance of a lifetime!"

Rolling her eyes, Lily followed her into the hallway and out the door. Little did she know how right Arabella's word would prove to be.


	2. Misapprehensions

A/N: It's me again! Hehe. Thanks so much for all the reviews guys. And special thanks to lilwags05 for helping me figure out how to format my chapters! Anyway, here is Chapter 1. I highly doubt I will be able to update on chapter a day, but I will try to make at least one every other day. Bear with me please! Now remember to be a good little reader and REVIEW!! ;)

"Can you believe it? This is it. We're actually going to the Quidditch World Cup," Lily said, as she and Arabella put the finishing touches on their makeup.

"No, Lils, I really can't," Arabella replied sarcastically.

"I'm annoying you by saying that aren't I?"

"Ya think?"

"All right, all right, Bella. I'll stop. Now help me here. I can't decide what to do with my hair."

Arabella bustled over Lily and studied her closely for a minute. "Leave it down," she finally decided, "It looks gorgeous just flowing down your back. You really do have awesome hair."

"Thanks," Lily replied. She turned to the mirror and inspected herself. Large, emerald green eyes in a pale, pointed face stared back at her. Her straight red hair framed her face and reached down to her mid back. Her lilac tank top brought out the golden highlights in her hair and fit her figure perfectly. White capri pants and lilac flipflops completed her outfit. She wore very little makeup: only a touch of green eyeshadow, mascara, and some lipgloss. Satisfied, she grabbed her purse from the bed and said, "Let's go. We don't want to be late."

"Hold on, I haven't finished my makeup yet," Arabella answered. She looked stunning in a blue tank that matched her eyes and a pair of denim shorts. She had pulled her short, dark brown hair back into a ponytail, with a few strands framing her face. The pink eyeshadow and lipstick she wore only added to her natural beauty.

"You look great," Lily told her.

"Thanks. So do you. Now let's roll!" Arabella replied and followed Lily out the door.

One hour later, both girls were sitting in their seats, waiting for the game to begin. Each held a pair of Omnioculars in her hand. Arabella was busy focusing on random people in the crowd, trying to find someone doing something embarrassing. Lily, in the meantime, was discovering some of the features of the Omnioculars. "Bella, look at this!" she said, "If you turn this knob, you get a complete listing of all the different plays. And this one gives you every type of foul. And here's a slow motion knob, and an instant reply, and-"

"Ok, ok, Lils," Arabella broke in, laughing, "Hey look. I can make this old lady's wig fall off over and over again." Lily leaned over to watch and they both started laughing hysterically. 

Just then, a voice announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 12th Quidditch World Cup!" Lily and Arabella clapped along with the others. Then the announcer continued, "Today's game is… England vs. Belgium. And now it's time to introduce our players. The starting lineup for England: Jones, Sims, Potter, Mullins, Patterson, Johnston and…… Bently. And playing for Belgium: Heineman, Jules, Karns, Lawson, Odem, Skotak and…… Lichtstein. And our referee, Mr. Joseph Allman."

Lily focused her Omnioculars on James Potter as he flew around the stadium. She saw a shock of unruly black hair. When he turned his face briefly in her direction, she caught a glimpse of warm, chocolate brown eyes, framed by silver glasses. _I wonder how many women are after him?_ she thought to herself. _And how big a head it's given him._ _I wonder if his looks have anything to do with his success…_ Before she could ponder further, Mr. Allman had blown his whistle and the game had begun.

For the next three hours, Lily and Arabella witnessed, in awe, the best Quidditch game of their lives. The English team was clearly better, but Belgium made a close second. And Lily could not help noticing that James Potter was every bit as talented a Chaser as the press made him out to be. _I could learn a thing or two from him,_ she told herself, and made a mental note to ask him about some of his moves over dinner.

Finally, Charles Bently caught the Snitch and the game ended. England had won 220 to 190. As the English team flew a victory lap around the stadium, the crowd erupted into cheers and clapping. As James' name was announced, the crowd cheered even louder. After England received their trophy, Arabella grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her down to the field. "Hurry up, Lils, we've got a date!"

"I know, I know. Geez you don't have to drag me," Lily protested.

Once they reached the field, Lily found that she was suddenly shy. _Chill out, Lils, it's just dinner. With an extremely hot and famous guy. Stop it! Be sensible. As if you'd ever have a chance with him anyway._

Arabella, however, did not seem to have a problem talking to hot and famous Quidditch players. She walked right up to James, stuck out her hand, and said, "Hello, I'm Arabella Figg, and this is my friend Lily Evans. We're the contest winners."

James took her hand rather reluctantly and forced a smile. "Hi there, Arabella. I'm James Potter. But, I'm sure you've already figured that out." 

He turned to Lily. "So you're Lily Evans," he said, as he shook her hand.

"Why, yes," she said, taken back by his greeting, "And I'm very pleased to meet you."

He seemed to flinch at her words, and she secretly wondered what she had done wrong. She had no time to ask about, for at that moment, the limo arrived, and they were all whisked off to the restaurant.

Seated in the restaurant, Lily felt even more nervous. She was not used to formal situations, especially not with any type of celebrity. And there was something about James Potter that her even more uncomfortable. It was as though he loathed being here, although she couldn't imagine why. Who wouldn't want to be adored by fans around the world?

But that was exactly what James Potter's problem was. He had been extremely annoyed when the contest was announced. And even more so when he found out who the contest winners were. _Oh great,_ he thought, _Now I get to spend an entire evening with two mindless, love struck, teenage girls, being incessantly pestered with stupid questions. 'How DO you get your hair like that, James darling?' 'So, Jamsie, are you seeing anyone?' 'Do you prefer blondes or brunettes?' _ And while he was on the subject of hair, he realized that Lily Evan's red waves were even more attractive than the usual bleached blondes or occasional brunette he had dated. _How did you get on the subject of Lily Evans' hair, James? Be sensible here._

The only person who actually seemed to be enjoying herself was Arabella. While Lily pushed her food around her plate and James was lost in thought, she was busy trying to catch the waiter's eye every time he passed their table. Tiring of this, she turned to Lily, "Lils, what's wrong with you?" she demanded, "You've hardly said a word all evening."

Lily immediately laid her fork down, looking guilty. _Remember you manners, Lily._ "Oh, sorry. I was just… thinking." Turning to look at James, she asked, "That was an amazing Porskoff Ploy you used to score the final goal. How exactly did you do it?"

Startled out of his reverie, James dropped his fork. It hit the floor with a clatter and he bent to pick it up. _Some host you've been, James. Snap out of it._ When he sat up again, he answered her question politely. "Oh, it's nothing."

"Really?" she countered, "I'm not too shabby of a Chaser myself, but I've never been able to pull of a Porskoff Ploy like you did."

He stared at her a moment, astonished, "You play Quidditch?"

"Yes, I was a Chaser on my school team for four years. I've considered trying out for one of the English teams."

"Wow. That's great. You really should go out for a team. It's a blast."

"I would imagine so," Lily replied, now feeling more at ease. "The placed you'd go, the people you'd see."

"The guys you'd meet," Arabella added.

"Oh come on, Arabella," Lily and James said at the same time. 

Lily giggled, "Jinx! You owe me a coke."

"Not a problem," James replied. He raised his hand for the waiter and asked, "Could you bring this lady a coca cola?"

"Certainly, sir," the man replied. He returned a few minutes later, a glass of coke in hand.

Lily took a long sip and leaned back in her chair. "Ah. That sure hits the spot." They all laughed. 

"You know, Lily," James said, "Why don't you come by my place tomorrow afternoon? I could show you how to do that Porskoff Ploy and a few of my other moves."

"Sounds great! Is three o'clock alright?"

"Excellent."

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This guy really isn't that bad. Lily remarked to herself, as she finished her dinner. _He's actually pretty normal._

Well, James, this should teach you to judge people before you meet them. You didn't expect her to be this nice did you? This evening didn't actually turn out that bad. 


	3. Just A Little Quidditch Practice

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews guys! I've decided to add my responses to reviews here instead of reviewing my own chapters:

Lee Velviet- Yes I am feeling incredibly special! I really don't know that much about Quidditch though, so pardon the mistakes I'm sure I'll make.

Chibi-Chingo- I know they're not muggles, but c'mon, no one looks good in robes. As for the denim shorts and capris thing, I wasn't really thinking it was a fancy restaurant. I was thinking more of a normal/dressy casual place. But those are some good points you made!

And now, on with the story…

The next day, at two o'clock, Lily was in her room getting ready. "Isn't it great, Lils!" Arabella squealed from her post on Lily's bed, "You have a date with James Potter!"

"Bella, how many times must I remind you that it is _not_ a date. He's just going to show me some Quidditch moves. That's it."

"Oh sure he is. I saw the way he looked at you, when he thought no one else could see," Arabella said, with an air of expertise.

"Oh come off it, Bella. He's a famous Quidditch player, why would he ever be interested in me?" Lily asked. 

"Because you're a smart, talented, sweet, pretty girl, that's why," Arabella retorted. 

"Right," Lily replied, "Now will you leave so I can change?"

"Of course, but only after your outfit has been Bella-certified."

Sighing, Lily reached into the closet and took out a pair of denim shorts, a green t-shirt, and a green robe. 

"You're wearing _that_ to see James Potter?" Arabella asked in disbelief.

"Bel_la_, I'm going to play Quidditch. What else would I wear?"

Giving in, Arabella shrugged her shoulders, "I guess you're right. I'll let you change now." With that, she got up and left the room.

By herself again, Lily had time to collect her whirling thoughts. _What's with you? It's just a little Quidditch practice. That's all. But what if Arabella's right. Could he be interested in me?_ Once she had changed, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. After a final inspection in the mirror, she grabbed her broom and walked to the living room. With a quick goodbye to Arabella, she threw some Floo Powder into the fireplace, said "To Potter's Corner," and stepped into the emerald green flames.

Moments later, she stumbled out into a large, lavishly furnished room, rubbing the soot out of her eyes. "Nice place," she remarked to no one in particular.

"Glad you like it," a voice said. Lily whirled around to see James Potter leaning against the doorframe, grinning. "Now would you like a tour before we start?"

"Nope," Lily replied, "But thanks. Just show me where the Quidditch pitch is and I'll be in heaven."

Chuckling, James grabbed his broom from the corner and motioned her to follow him. Once they reached the Quidditch pitch, Lily gasped. "You are so lucky. I would love to have my own private pitch to practice in and not have to worry about muggles seeing me practice."

"Well, feel free to use mine whenever you need to," James offered.

"You'd do that for me? When you only met me yesterday?" Lily asked, astonished. "You know, James Potter, you're quite different what I expected."

James blushed slightly, "Thanks, I think. You're pretty different yourself, Lily Evans. I never expected you to be this… normal."

Lily laughed. "I get it now. I wondered why you were so standoffish last night. I'll bet you thought I was going to be some rabid teenage fan, who would pester you the whole evening with annoying questions, and just hang on you all night. Am I right?"

Grinning sheepishly, he nodded. "Yeah. Sorry."

"You've nothing to apoligize for," Lily assured him. "I don't blame you at all. And I'll admit that I thought you would be some stuck-up sports star who was way too big for his britches."

Laughing, James replied, "Touché." He stuck out his hand. "So, are we friends?"

"But of course," Lily answered, shaking his hand vigorously.

"Now, Miss Evans, shall we play some Quidditch?"

"Why certainly, Mr. Potter. That's what we're here for, is it not?"

"Off we go then," he said, as he mounted his broom. Lily mounted hers, and they both kicked off, soaring into the air. They flew around a while, doing flips and zooming back and forth. Then James pulled to a stop beside her. "Are you ready to learn some serious Quiddich moves?"

"I was born ready!" Lily said.

"We shall see," he said, shaking his finger playfully at her. She stuck out her tongue at him. "Now then," he continued, "First off is the Porksoff Ploy. To make it work really well, you have to know just the right moment to drop the Quaffle. If you drop it too early, then the other Chaser will have time to steal it. And, of course, if you drop it too late, he'll have time to take it from you. Do you follow me so far."

Lily nodded, and he said, "All right, then why don't I demonstrate it for you now, and you can try it after that?"

"Ok," Lily said, and moved into position underneath him. Holding the Quaffle, he zoomed up and then dropped it to her. "That was awesome!" she said. 

"Thanks, now it's your turn." He handed the Quaffle to her and then hovered underneath her. 

Taking a deep breath, she shifted the Quaffle back and forth in her hands. _Why does it matter so much if you do it right for him? He's here to teach you, not to judge you. Get a grip, Lily._ Setting her teeth, she darted upward, then, at the last second, dropped the Quaffle to James. He caught it with ease, and flew up to her. "Good job! I think you've got that one down. Let's try some more, shall we?"

Grinning delightedly, she nodded. "How about that quick little move you used a lot to dart around the other Chasers. I've never seen anyone do that before."

"Ah, well that's a secret move I came up with myself. But I'd be glad to show it to you," he replied. For the next three hours, Lily and James flew around the Quidditch pitch, having the time of their lives. 

Then, Lily's stomach rumbled. "Oh my gosh, it's dinner time already?" she said, as she flew back to the ground and stepped off her broom.

"Time flies when you're having fun," James said, landing beside her. "But do you really have to go so soon? I thought you might stay for dinner…"

"Oh, I'd love to James, but I'm supposed to make dinner for Arabella. Letting her anywhere near a kitchen is suicide," Lily said.

"That's not a problem. Have her come too," James assured her, "In fact, one of my friend's, Sirius Black, is coming over. Arabella should meet him; I have a feeling they'd get along really well."

Lily laughed, and replied, "It's settled then. Give me thirty minutes, and I'll be back with Arabella."

"See you then," James said. 

Precisely thirty minutes later, Arabella and Lily apparated into James' living room. He was lounging on the couch waiting for them, looking stunning in a black button-down shirt and slacks. He had tried to tame his hair, but it still stuck up every which way. _With that adorable little tuft of hair flopped over his forehead, _Lily thought to herself, _Woah, did you just call him adorable? What's wrong with you? But you gotta admit, he does look pretty good._

While Lily contemplated the finer aspects of James' hair, he was busy studying her. _That green sweater looks gorgeous on her, and her hair is so… soft. Wonder what she did with it. Ok, that's the second time you've pondered about Lily Evans' hair. You've gotta stop this, James._ Mentally shaking himself, he stood up. "Welcome back, Lily. You look great! You too, Arabella," he said, not taking his eyes off of Lily.

Noting the direction of his eyes, Arabella smiled to herself and replied, "Ditto, Potter."

Lily blushed slightly, _It's only a compliment, and he was just being polite,_ and murmured, "Thanks. Your hair looks nice."

__

She likes my hair? She likes my hair! Ok hold on, Potter, she's just saying that to be nice. Before he could say anything else, there was a rattling in the fire place. A few seconds later, a soot covered man fell out, knocking Arabella down. As the man stood up and brushed himself off, James ran over and pulled him into a bear hug. "Sirius! How ya doin', ol' buddy, ol' pal?"

Chuckling, Sirius pushed him off, "Let me breath, Jamsie. Now-"

Lily broke out laughing, "Jamsie? Did you just call him Jamsie?!" Sirius nodded mischievously, and Lily laughed even harder.

"Ahem!" came a voice from somewhere down below. Arabella stood up, fuming. Putting both hands on Sirius' shoulders, she whirled him around and yelled, "Excuse me? You just knocked me over a few moments ago. The least you could do is help me up."

A roguish light gleamed in his gray eyes. He stepped closer to her and replied smoothly, "Well, madam, I usually don't usually move quite this fast, but for a little beauty like you I suppose I could make an exception."

Smirking, Arabella retorted, "And what makes you think I'm interested?"

Sirius struck a pose and ran his fingers through his shoulder length black hair. "How could you possibly resist this?" he demanded.

"Easy," Arabella replied, and walked out of the room, hips swaying, head held high.

Lily choked back her laughter at the bewildered look on Sirius' face. James patted Sirius and the back, "Better luck next time, old boy."

Sirius brightened up immediately, "So, it's hard to get, is it? Watch out, little lady, Black is back and better than ever." With that, he strode out the door after Arabella.

"I suppose we'd better follow them," James said, "Didn't I tell you they'd like each other?"

"Right you were," Lily answered, "This is gonna be one heck of an evening."

"Well, mademoiselle, shall we dine?" James asked gallantly, offering her his arm.

She slipped her hand through his elbow and replied, "We shall, monsieur."


	4. Of Blue Hair and Tickle Fests

A/N: I'm back! Ok right now, as I start this author's note, it is the morning of 10/15. Let's see how long it takes me to finish this chapter! I honestly have no idea what to do with this chapter right now, so I will begin typing and let the characters write it. Now for some review responses:

Lee Velviet: Wow, you've reviewed my story TWICE. I'm glad you liked Sirius' entrance. I quite enjoyed writing that part! I'm somewhat of a Sirius at heart. :D

ChaChaChica: Since almost every single L/J fic is set at Hogwarts, I decided to do something out of the box, and write a post-hogwarts fic. And some people say James was a Chaser, some say he was a Seeker. I chose to go with Chaser…… just because!

Emily Woodmark: I love constructive criticism! You want descriptions, you'll get some!

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As she entered the dining room, Lily gasped at the enormous amount of food heaped onto the plates. Seeing her expression, James said nervously, "I hope it's enough. I was only expecting Sirius."

"Only?" Lily asked incredulously, "James, that's enough food to feed an entire Quidditch team!"

"Right," James said, laughing at himself, "But Sirius, well he- let's just say he eats enough to fill four stomachs."

Smiling, Lily shook her head. "He's quite an individual. I've never met anyone who flirts as much as Arabella before, but I guess there's a first time for everything. Speaking of Sirius, where is he? I thought he followed Arabella to the table."

"One thing's for sure," James said, "Wherever Arabella is, Sirius won't be far behind."

Just then, an agonized scream interrupted their conversation. "Sirius Black, just wait till I get my hands on you!" Arabella yelled at the top of her lungs.

"But, but, Bella," Sirius protested, "you hair looks positively smashing. It's the exact same shade of blue as your eyes, which, if I might add, are very gorgeous." Arabella's only response was a scream of frustration.

By this point, Lily and James were standing with their ears glued to the door, choking back their laughter. All of a sudden, Sirius came storming out, knocking the eavesdroppers to the floor. "I don't get it," he muttered, "All the others adored being the target of my pranks. And I told her it looked great. Besides, it wears off in a few minutes." Turning around, he pleaded, "James, what am I gonna-" his eyes gleamed, "Why, Jamsie, it seems you and Miss Evans have gotten rather well aquainted during my absence."

His words startled Lily and James out of their trance. _What? Aquainted? What am I- Oh my God, Lily, you're lying on top of James Potter! On the floor! How did I get here? I must have fallen. Oh well, this is … nice._

James had turned beet red at the feeling of Lily's body on top of his. _C'mon Potter, think of something smart to say. Oh God, she's gorgeous. Ok, no, you've got to get off the floor somehow. But why hurry? This is quite nice, come to think of it_. Mentally shaking himself, he looked at Lily and raised an eyebrow, "Comfy, Evans?"

Lily blushed, "Come off it, Potter," she retorted, poking him in the stomach. James twitched and choked back a laugh. "Why Jamsie, you neglected to mention that you're ticklish." She began tickling him mercilessly and within seconds, James was rolling helplessly on the floor in laughter. As he writhed on the floor, his hand brushed the back of Lily's knee. She yelped and attempted to crawl away from him, but he grabbed her ankle and pulled her towards him. 

"I seem to have found your weak spot, my dear Miss Evans," he smirked. As James began his tickle fest, Sirius cleared his throat loudly. Lily and James both jumped guiltily to their feet. Seeing the knowing look in Sirius' eye, James burst out, "Oh shut it, Black."

Sirius pouted and sat down dejectedly on the sofa. "Jamsie, it's just not _fair_. I try. I try so hard, and yet _you_ get all the ladies. What can they possibly see in you? What does famous Quidditch player James Potter have that the devilishly handsome Sirius Black does not?" Sirius said, melodramatically, looking down at James with sorrowful grey eyes.

James grunted, and replied, "Well at least my ego fits inside my head."

At this, Lily burst out laughing. "Sirius… you should," she managed between giggles, "Have seen… the… the look on your… face." 

"_Someone_ appreciates my perfectly sculpted features," Sirius retorted.

James sat down beside him on the sofa, and patted his back comfortingly, "Don't worry about her Siri, old pal. She'll come around. No one can resist the infamous Black charm for long, remember?"

Sirius' head snapped up and he stood up quickly. "Thanks, Jamsie, buddy. It's time for round two." As he walked to the door, Sirius turned. "Besides, I have a feeling you'd rather have someone _else_ sitting with you on the sofa," he said, looking pointedly at Lily. Fortunately for James, Lily completely missed Sirius' insinuation. She was busy trying to fix her hair, which had fallen out during she and James' struggle on the floor. As she stood in front of the mirror, turning this way and that, trying to restore the intricate hairstyle she had worn before, James stared at her in awe. _Why doesn't she just leave her hair down? It looks fabulous. The way it falls past her shoulders in those thick, red waves, and- _"Leave it down," he said huskily. _Now, why did you say that, Potter?_

Startled, she turned around. "What did you say?" James mumbled something, and Lily said, "Sorry. I didn't catch that."

Now a bright shade of pink, James rasped out, "Leave it down."

Lily's mouth fell open, but she stopped messing with her hair. "You- you like my hair?"

James shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Erm… yeah."

Flushing, Lily stuttered, "Well… I- I like your hair to." 

Both of them looked away, with foolish grins on their faces as Sirius, with Arabella following him closely, stormed in the door. His hair was a bright blue which matched Arabella's. Sirius was fuming, "My hair! My beautiful hair. It's blue!"

Arabella cackled evilly, "One good turn deserves another, Black."

Sirius looked at James pleadingly, but he just laughed and said, "What goes around comes around again, Padfoor. Now you know how it feels to have blue hair."

Unable to resist the lure of revenge, Lily teased, "Why Sirius! You and Arabella have _matching hair!_ Isn't that just _adorable_ James?!"

Taking his cue, James added, "Omigosh _yes!_ Don't they make a _lovely_ couple, Lils?"

Sirius, for once, was speechless. He and Arabella had both turned a shade of red that clashed horrible with their hair. An uncomfortable silence ensued, in which James and Lily were shaking with silent laughter. With a loud, insistent rumble, Sirius' stomach broke the spell. Once again on top of the situation, Sirius smiled charmingly and asked, "Dinner anyone?"

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A/N: Let's see… it's 12:48 AM on January 1, 2003. HOPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I'll have to upload this tomorrow. Sorry it took so long, but between a broken comp, and writers block, there wasn't much I could do. Now for a lil' something about the next chapter. I cannot STAND writing about meals, so I'm skipping to the morning after. If you've got a problem with that….. wah. Hehe. I have this whole week off of school, so hopefully I can get at least one more chapter done (I'm hoping for two…). Toodles!


	5. Why does this keep happening to me?

A/N: AAA!! I'm a terrible person! I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting so long. It just seems that my life got incredibly busy all at once. First my highschool musical took up all my time. Then I had trouble with darned Algebra 2. Then I got sick. And now I'm busy composing and rehearsing for my band! I actually wrote the first half of this chapter several weeks ago. I haven't had time to finish it until now.

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The next morning, Lily awoke to the sound of birds chirping cheerfully outside her window and the golden sunbeams streaming in her window. Groaning, she rolled out of bed, grabbed a ponytail holder, and tied back her tousled hair. Then she shuffled into the living room to make a cup of coffee. "Good morning, sunshine!" Bella said cheerfully. Lily grunted in response, focusing all her energy on making the coffee. 

Once she had the coffee maker going, she flopped down into a chair across from Arabella. Only then did she notice that Arabella was laughing at her. "What's so funny?"

"Lily! I already made a pot of coffee. It's sitting right there." 

Following her finger, Lily whirled around. "I knew that," she snapped, "I just… wanted to make some."

"Oh come on, Lils. We both know you're not at your best in the morning."

"Humph," Lily said, crossing her arms, "Neither are you."

Bella just raised an eyebrow in response. At that moment, a popping sound came from the fireplace. They both turned to see a grinning face appear in the fire. Lily immediately started laughing, while Bella gave a scream of frustration. She jumped to her feet and strode into the living room. "Sirius Marcelano Black! I thought I told you NOT to call this morning!"

Lily burst into a fit of giggles, "Your middle name is _Marcelano_?"

Sirius blushed, "Yeah. Dunno what my mum was on when she named me."

"How about stupidity pills?" Arabella asked, "It's obvious they affected your mind as well."

Sirius looked shocked, then he smiled charmingly, "But that's why you love me, isn't it, Ma Belle?"

Arabella rolled her eyes, but remained silent. "Sirius. Just lay low for awhile," Lily advised. "Believe me, this isn't helping." With a nod, Sirius's head disappeared.

When they were both seated again, Arabella glared at Lily. "You're helping him? How could you? You know how much I hate him!"

"I know how much you _think_ you hate him," Lily returned, "Face it, Bella. You think he's hot."

Arabella blushed but continued to protest, "I think he's annoying. End of story."

"Nope. You forgot the next chapter."

"Which is?"

Lily began to recite, melodramatically, "The next day, the incredibly handsome Sirius Black fell to his knees before the lovely Arabella Figg and cried out, 'Ma Belle, I love you so!' to which the astonished Arabella answered passionately, 'But Siri, _dahling_, we've only just met. How can this be, I-' And before she could finish, he took her in his tanned, muscled arms and kissed her senseless. Then-"

"All right. All right, Lily! Please stop. I'd like to keep my breakfast inside my stomach if it's not too much trouble for you," Arabella said, trying to hide a smile.

"Aha!" Lily had noticed it, "So you do like him!"

"Oh my God, Lils. I do not like him. He annoys the hell outta me and I can't stand his attitude. So shut up already."

Lily just shook her head, knowingly. "Well, I'm off to Potter's Corner. See ya this afternoon."

It was Arabella's turn to tease. "Potter's Corner? You wouldn't happen to be looking for a certain James Potter, would you? Because I have a feeling he'd _love_ to fall down on his knees before you, declare his undying love for you, and then kiss _you_ senseless."

"Bel_la_. I'm just going to use his Quidditch pitch. I have to practice everyday if I'm gonna try out for a professional team."

Arabella raised an eyebrow, but kept silent and sipped her coffee. When Lily grabbed her broom, she finally spoke, "Didn't you forget something, Lils?"

Lily turned with a confused look on her face, "Umm… no?"

"Lily, you're still in your PJs!"

"Oh yeah…."

"Thinking about lover boy, eh?" Arabella called after her as Lily ran into the bedroom to change. A few minutes later, she emerged in proper attire and walked to the fireplace. She grabbed some Floo power, threw it in the fire and said, "Potter's Corner!"

Exactly 33 seconds later, she stepped out of the fireplace into James's living room. Seeing no one, she turned to the door and walked right into a hard, muscled, decidedly masculine chest. _Crap. Why does this keep happening to me?_ Then she felt two arms encircle her and squeeze her in a huge bear hug. "Lils! Great to see ya!" 

"Sirius?" she gasped out, quite surprised.

He let go of her and noted her expression. "Aw poor Lily. Were you hoping I was Jamsie?" he teased.

"Sirius, please. Arabella is bad enough." At the mention of Arabella's name, Sirius scowled and crossed his arms. "And I'll bet you were hoping _I_ was Arabella…"

Sirius smiled, "All right, truce. But if you just _happen_ to be looking for James, he's out on the pitch."

"That's where I was headed," she looked behind her for her broomstick, only to realize she had left it behind. "Crap! I forgot my broom."

"I'm sure James has plenty to spare. Just ask him."

"Thanks, Si," Lily said, heading for the door. Once she was outside, she straightened her navy blue robes and smoothed her ponytail. A second later, she realized she was preening and dropped her hands. Pointedly ignoring the strange fluttering in her stomach, she walked briskly toward the Quidditch pitch. 

James sighed and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. For the umpteenth time that day, his thoughts had strayed to a certain redhead, despite his efforts to resist. _Resist? What are you talking about, man? She's simply irresistible._ Giving in, he pointed his broom toward the ground, as his thoughts headed back to Lily. Instead of landing neatly, he collided with a solid, yet soft object. Jolted out of dreamland, he realized he was laying on top of someone, and his ears registered a muffled scream, "WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME?!" Once his brain registered the fact that he was lying on top of Lily, he had to force himself to roll off of her. Even when he was lying on the grass beside her, he fought to keep his thoughts under control. 

Lily lay on the ground, seething. Not only was she annoyed with James for landing on top of her, she was furious with herself for wanting him to stay there. To top it all off, she was too embarrassed to look at him, and he seemed to be having the same problem. _So what are we supposed to do, just lie here?_ Suddenly, she laughed at the absurdity of the situation. 

Her laughter loosened James' tongue. He rolled over on his side and looked at her. "What's so funny? Please tell me you're not laughing at me."

"No, no. Although you did make somewhat an ass of yourself. It's not every day that famous Quidditch players fall of their brooms onto helpless bystanders."

"Well you could have gotten out of the way," he retorted.

"Well you could have flown out of the way."

"I wasn't paying attention. I was thinking about something."

"You should always pay attention when you're flying, genius." Lily turned to look at him, "What were you thinking about?" she asked.

James blushed, "Erm… nothing." Feeling that a change of subject was in order, he added, "So I hear Sirius called at your flat this morning."

Lily burst into laughter. "Arabella was so mad. And Sirius. He was shocked. As if he honestly thought she wanted him to call her. He seemed so dissapointed when I talked to him a few minutes ago."

James nodded, "That he is. I've never seen him this determined to get a girl before. Then again, he's never had a problem with the ladies."

"Yeah," Lily replied, "He could definitely use some help."

Brightening, James said, "Then why don't we help him?" Lily looked skeptical, but James continued. "We could… umm lock the two of them in a room together for an hour."

"Well if you don't mind the room being completely wrecked then I suppose that's an option," Lily said. "But I really think a double date would work better. If they could actually spend some time together, but not alone, it might help."

"Sounds good. But who else are we gonna get to come?" James asked.

"Ummm…." _C'mon just say it. You know who you want it to be._ "Well, I was thinking that…"

"Hey Lily!" James interrupted, "Why don't you and I go? I mean, I know we're not a couple or anything, but we need to keep an eye on them anyway. How bout it, Lils?"

Lily's eyes widened, "Are you actually asking me out?"

James reddened, "Uh… I guess maybe… sorta… yeah." _Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say- shut up._

Lily giggled, "Okay."

Grinning, James replied, "It's a date. Now shall we go plan it?" Lily nodded her agreement, and they headed back inside, each one mentally shouting for joy.

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A/N: Ok I finished it. But guess what? FF.net won't let me log in! I swear this happens EVERY TIME I have a new chapter to post. I'm sorry, folks. I tried. Oh and by the way I GOT OVER ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS!!! Teehee! I so happy. :D


	6. Unintended Confessions

A/N: I do solemnly swear that I will finish this chappie TONIGHT. Yes, folks, you get a new chapter as a Valentine's Day present. And this one will, hopefully, have more romance between at least ONE of the couples. I have no idea how this chapter will work out. I started it like… a week ago. And then I hit a wall. I think I'll just let it write itself. What will happen? Will James and Lily snog themselves senseless? Will Sirius and Arabella finally get together? Who knows……

Oops! One little note. The endearment "Ma Belle" that Sirius uses was stolen from Bella Black, who in my opinion is one of the best L/J, S/A authors I have ever read. Bella, if you're reading this, please don't be mad at me. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

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Two hours later Lily, who was sick and tired of using Floo Powder, flew back home on a broom she had borrowed from James. Correction, a brand new broom that James had given her. "Come on, Lily," he had told her, "I have way too many brooms for my own good. Plus, your old one was outdated." When she had continued to protest, he had shoved the broom into her arms and turned to go, "Keep it. It's a gift." Lily had nodded her thanks, wondering why she found herself unable to speak.

The sound of footsteps jostled her out of her reminiscing. "Lily? Back so soon!" Arabella said, "Did you and lover boy have a fight or something?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "No Bella. We made a date, actually."

Arabella crowed in delight, "I knew it. I just knew it. So when is it?"

"In exactly two hours."

"Lillian Marie Evans! You mean you only have _two hours_ to doll yourself up before you go meet James Potter somewhere so he can snog you senseless?"

"Correction, Bella. I only have two hours before James and I go out to eat at a nice restaurant. And did I mention that you're coming too?"

"Oh no, Lily. I am not playing third wheel."

"You won't be. It's a double date."

"Oh yeah? So who's the fourth person?" Arabella's head snapped up. "No. Don't tell me. Anybody but him."

"Bel_la_! He's James' best friend. And he really isn't that bad. Just give him a chance."

"No, Lily. I am _not_ going. Sorry. No dice."

Lily sighed in exasperation, then smiled as inspiration hit her. "Bella, I… I need some moral support. I mean-" _Lord, forgive me for lying._ "I really like James." _But is that a lie? Yes it is now shu- IS IT?- shut up!_ "And I'm… scared. Yeah that's it. First date jitters."

Arabella looked skeptical. "You've never had 'em before. Besides, what good would I do?" Seeing Lily's pleading look, she gave in. "Oh alright. I'll go. Ya happy?"

"Very!" Lily said, throwing her arms around Arabella.

"Ok, ok. Now let's get ready!" Giggling madly, they each ran into their bedrooms and began scouring their closets.

***************

Meanwhile, James was busy convincing Sirius. "Si, I promise she'll be nice to you. Just come."

Sirius, who had an uncanny ability to turn any situation into a teasing session, protested, "But Jamsie, I just don't understand _why_ you want spectators during your snog session with Lily."

"Sirius! For the thousandth time, I am _not_ going to snog Lily!"

"But you admit that you'd like to?"

"Yes, but that's not the- Tell me I didn't just say that."

Grinning madly, Sirius ducked underneath the fist that came swinging towards his head. "Oh but you did, Jamsie, and Uncle Sirius isn't gonna forget it anytime soon."

"You're just jealous cause Arabella would rather smack you than snog you."

"That was low, James. I'm hurt."

"Truth hurts. What can I say? So will you come?"

"Fine," Sirius said, with an exaggerated sigh, "If you insist. Now let's get you dressed."

"Yes Mother." This time, James ducked as he ran upstairs, chuckling. 

***************

"Bella, does this dress look okay?" Lily stood in the hallway, wearing a pastel green sheath dress. The soft, shimmery fabric fell just below her knees, and the neck was square cut. The sleeveless dress showed off her curves, and complimented her creamy skin tone. 

"Smashing, Lils. If his jaw doesn't hit the floor, I will pronounce him legally blind. Now how does mine look?" Arabella asked, twirling for Lily. She wore a charcoal grey, knit dress that clung slightly to her figure and brought out the blue of her eyes.

"You look great, Bella. We better hurry with our hair and make up. The guys will be here in 30 minutes." Squealing, Arabella ran back to her room and Lily smiled as she walked to her bathroom counter.

*****************

James ran downstairs, grabbing a nice, navy blue jacket on the way down. "Sirius!" he called, "Hurry up or we're gonna be late."

"Fashionably late, you mean?" Sirius yelled down the stairs.

"No, I mean so-late-that-Arabella-will-be-even-more-pissed-at-you-than-usual late," James said, as he hunted for the keys to his sleek, black BMW. (A/N: I know they're wizards, but they're going to a muggle restaurant. They've got to look normal. Besides, pictures James driving a black convertible BMW with the top down and the wind blowing in his hair.)

"Point taken. I'm coming," Sirius said. Moments later, he joined James at the door, adjusting his corduroy jacket. "Looking good, Jamsie boy," he said, taking in James' baby blue shirt and khakis. "So, are you nervous about your first date with a certain gorgeous red head."

"Don't call her gorgeous," James replied automatically.

"And why not, Prongsie? Jealous?"

"Ye- No, because you wouldn't want Arabella to hear you say that, would you?"

"Well no, but you're still jealous."

In response, James yanked the car door open and sat down. "Just shut up, Padfoot. And for once in your life, try to be polite tonight."

"Worried about me ruining your snog session with the little lady?" James glared at him. "Fine, fine. Shutting up."

"Finally." The rest of the ride went by in silence as James attempted to suppress the butterflies that were fluttering around inside his stomach, and Sirius was busy planning how best to hit on Arabella.

**************

"Bella, would you mind getting the door for me? I've gotta find my shoes."

"No prob, Lils," Arabella said, reaching behind her to open the door. She turned around and her mouth dropped.

"Good evening, Ma Belle," Sirius said charmingly, holding out a single red rose.

"G-good evening, Sirius," Arabella said, taking the rose, "Um… thanks."

"Anytime. And may I add that you look especially stunning tonight?" Sirius said, stepping inside.

"Where's James?" Arabella asked, trying to understand why she couldn't think of a good reason to forbid him from complimenting her. _Maybe cause you like it?_

As if in answer to her question, James appeared behind Sirius, looking slightly nervous. "Hello Arabella. I see Lily managed to persuade you to come."

"Yes, I did," Lily said as she snatched her purse from the counter. "Let it be a warning to both of you gentlemen, in case you ever get the urge to argue with me."

Sirius, noticing that James was currently too busy staring at Lily to reply, answered, "Now I don't know about that. I can be quite persuasive myself, Miss Evans."

Arabella snorted, "That's a matter of opinion."

"But, Ma Belle! You have yet to see how very convincing I can be," Sirius replied, snaking an arm around Arabella's waist. "Well ladies, shall we be off?"

"As long as you remove your arm, we shall."

"I don't think so, it's quite comfortable where it is," Sirius said, pulling her down the walk, to the car.

Swallowing hard, James managed a smile and asked gallantly, "Shall we?"

"Yes, good sir, we shall," Lily responded, taking the arm he offered to her. 

Reaching the car, James opened the passenger side door for Lily before sitting in the driver's seat. "I guess this leaves the backseat for us, Bella," Sirius said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Fine. Just don't get any ideas," Arabella replied, yanking the door open. She gasped as Sirius' hand covered hers gently. "I believe that's my job, milady," he said and opened the door for her. Hard as she tried to think of a response, all Arabella could manage was a snort.

"Bella, you sound like a pig," Lily teased.

"But a very beautiful pig," Sirius added.

"Whatever," Arabella said, rolling her eyes.

Sirius continued, "And I am a very handsome man."

"Which you seem to know all too well."

"As do you, Ma Belle."

"And your point is?"

"Ha! So you admit that you think I'm hot!"

"I did not!"

"Ah, but you did, Belle o' mine."

"Stop calling me names!"

"Actually, Bella-boo, they're called endearments."

"Bella-boo?" James asked disbelievingly, "Sirius, I think you're losing your touch."

"Or perhaps he's losing his heart?" Lily said softly to James, who nodded his assent. Before another argument could start in the back seat, he turned on the radio. The music seemed to calm Sirius, and he was silent for the next few minutes. "Music tames the savage beast," Lily muttered.

"Right you are, Lils," James said, chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Sirius asked, perking up.

"Your face," Arabella quipped.

"So _that's_ what you've been staring at."

Arabella opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out. "He got you there, Bella," Lily said, laughing. Arabella growled at her. "Really, Bella. First you act like a pig, now you've become a dog. What will you become next?"

"Madly in love with me, that's what," Sirius said, batting his eyelashes at Arabella, who glared at him in response.

"Don't get your hopes up, Si," James warned him, "I don't think she's quite reached that stage yet."

"Potter, have you yet to realize that you have no idea what you're talking about?"

"Bella, why won't you just admit that you want Sirius?" Lily asked, not stopping to notice that she had jumped to James' defense.

"The same reason you still deny that you like James," Arabella retorted, then clapped a hand over her mouth, "Sorry, Lils. I didn't mean to tell."

"You have all the luck, Jamsie," Sirius pouted. James blushed furiously.

"Wait a minute! I never said that-" Lily gave up, realizing that her protests would only serve to convince Arabella and Sirius. _Or maybe because it's the truth?_

"Actions speak louder than words, Lils," Sirius said, "Besides, when Prongsie regains his powers of speech, I'm sure he'll have a similar declaration to make."

James focused hard on the road, pretending he hadn't heard Sirius. Arabella turned to smile triumphantly at Sirius, who winked in response and leaned over to whisper, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Lily and James? Adorable!"

"Exactly. We have work to do tonight, Ma Belle."

"You've got yourself a deal, Black," Arabella agreed. _Oh my God. Did I just have a civil conversation with Sirius Black?_

_Siri, old man, you did it. She actually spoke civilly to you for more than 30 seconds. Pretty soon, you'll have her._ Sirius smiled to himself. Meanwhile, Lily and James were completely oblivious to the fact that they were being plotted against. They 

were each very busy trying not to meet each other's eyes, while attempting to study each other to gauge the other's reaction to this new discovery. 

Fortunately, they reached the restaurant in the next minute. Only when they were inside, seated at their table, did James relax and take a moment to ponder this new development. _She likes me! She likes me! She likes me! Yes, you've established that fact now what are you going to do about it? Kiss her senseless? Not a bad idea. But not with Sirius watching. I'd never hear the end of it._

During dinner, Arabella and Sirius struggled to keep the conversation going. They had called a temporary truce in their endeavor to set up their best friends. However, no matter how hard they tried, James and Lily barely spoke, much less to each other. James was pretended to be very occupied with his pasta, and Lily was lost in thought. _Oh God, Arabella and her big mouth. My chances with James are now officially ruined. He's not even talking to me. So you admit that you wanted a chance? Gah! Yes. _

Half an hour later, the conspirators finally gave up trying to draw James and Lily into conversation. An uncomfortable silence fell over the table. Then Sirius, who was incapable of being quiet for long, spoke up, "Well, Prongs, since we're about finished, why don't you bring the car around? I'll take care of the bill." James nodded, glad for an escape.

"Oh, Lils, would you mind getting my purse for me? I think I left it in the car, and I need my mirror."

"Why can't you get it yourself, Bella?"

"Lily, honestly. _Someone_ has to stay behind and make sure that Sirius actually pays the bill."

"Oh all right. I'm going," Lily relented, following James out the door. Outside, she shivered in the crisp, cool night air. James silently took off his jacket and draped it across her shoulders. Lily looked up at him curiously, "Thanks."

"No problem," James said. When they reached the car, he unlocked it and reached for the door handle. At the same time, Lily grabbed it to open the door and retrieve Arabella's purse. As their hands touched, a jolt of electricity ran up her arm. Before she could snatch it back, James laced his fingers through hers and reached around to grab her other hand. Lily turned to face him, ignoring the way her pulse raced when he touched her. "Lily, I….." James began, "I, um."

"Yes?" Lily prompted, unconsciously leaning forward. 

Unable to resist the enticing picture she made, James closed the gap between them and covered her lips with his. A million sensations flashed through his mind as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss. He was afraid she would resist and try to pull away. He knew he would let her go if she did. To his delight, she melted into him. Her lips parted, offering his tongue access to her mouth. He had kissed several women before, but nothing had ever felt like this. Lily was made to be held in his arms. Her lips fit perfectly onto his. He pulled her closer, unable to get enough of her.

As she leaned against him, Lily was shaken by the passion racing through her. She reached up to lace her hands through his hair as their tongues danced together, battling for control. She was lost in the myriad of emotions that coursed through her as they kissed. This was right. She could stay in his arms forever.

James' hands began to wander over her curves as he turned and pressed her against the car door. Lily made no protest, only pulled him closer, her hands tracing the line of his jaw. He ran his hands down her back, across her hips, to her chest. A small moan of pleasure escaped her lips, bringing him crashing down to earth again. He jerked his head up, and turned away, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to… I wasn't trying- I mean, I just-"

He fell silent as Lily placed a finger over his lips. "James, it's OK. I know you just got carried away. I could never imagine you taking advantage of me."

James blushed, staring into her eyes as a familiar voice broke their trance. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" Sirius gloated. "Prongsie, I thought you told me you _weren't_ going to snog Lily tonight."

James rolled his eyes, and whispered to Lily, "He always had rotten timing." Then he turned to face a very smug Sirius, keeping one arm around Lily's waist. "Sirius, we weren't snogging. It was just a kiss."

"Whatever you say, Jamsie," Sirius said loftily. "Now would you rather have me drive us home so that you and Lily can continue your sn- _kiss_?"

"Despite what you may think, Sirius, I have no suicidal tendencies," James said, opening the door for Lily, then sliding into the driver's seat. Sirius and Arabella took their seats in the back, and James pulled out of the parking lot, onto the highway. Once they were on the road, his free hand wandered over to find Lily's. She flashed him a smile and laced her fingers through his. The ride home was relatively quiet, since James and Lily were busy remembering the most shocking kiss of their lives. 

Ten minutes later, James pulled up in front of Lily and Arabella's flat. Sirius and Arabella wisely stayed behind as James walked Lily to the door. "Well… goodnight," Lily said softly as James reached for her other hand.

"Thank you, Lily. I had a great time," James said, leaning down to kiss her gently on the lips.

"So did I," Lily whispered, and squeezed his hand.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Most definitely," Lily replied. Reluctantly, she let go of his hand and unlocked the door. As she walked inside, she looked back to smile at him. James grinned back at her, "Goodnight, Lils." 

On his way back to the car, he passed Sirius and Arabella, who had grown tired of waiting in the car and began walking to the door. When they reached the door, Sirius said, "It seems our plan has succeeded, Miss Figg."

"That it has, Mr. Black," Arabella agreed, only then did she look down and notice that Sirius was holding her hand. As she raised her eyes to meet his gaze, Sirius leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. "Sweet dreams, Ma Belle," he said and, turning around, he walked back to the car.

Arabella stood motionless on the steps, watching him go. When he and James drove off, she raised a trembling hand to her lips and whispered, "Good night, Sirius." 

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A/N: Man, that was the longest chapter I've ever written. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!


	7. Payback Time

A/N: Thank you to all you lovely people who reviewed! You'd better be glad I updated so soon. ;) I was up 'till almost 1 am finishing that chappie for you. I know it's been over two weeks since I've updated, but this will be another long chappie.

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Inside, Lily smiled dreamily and wandered into her bedroom. Mechanically, she washed her face and dressed for bed; her mind was elsewhere, with a certain brown-eyed, black-haired someone. She fell into bed, pulled the covers over her, and fell asleep, reminiscing the events of her wonderful evening in her dreams.

Arabella stood outside on the porch, staring up into the starry sky. A thousand thoughts raced through her head, her mind at war with her heart. _"Why can't you just admit you want Sirius?" I DO NOT! I DON'T EVEN LIKE HIM!! "Just admit…" I DON'T! "Just admit." _ She reached for the knob and opened the door. With one last look in the direction that James and Sirius had gone, she turned and walked inside. Hurriedly, she raced into her bedroom, changed into her pajamas, and flopped onto the bed. Burying her face in the pillow, she pulled the covers over her, longing for the peaceful oblivion of sleep. _Come on Bella, he can't be that bad. Besides it's not good to judge people based on first impressions._ _Aw, shut up and let me sleep._ Finally, she fell asleep, too tired to banish the hopeful thought that she might see Sirius the next day.

*************

On the way home, Sirius was strangely silent. After almost fifteen minutes of silence from his best friend, James looked at him, "All right, Padfoot, fess up. What happened? Did you and Arabella have another fight?"

His voice stirred Sirius from his thoughts. "Au contraire, mon ami," he said, "Despite its rather turbulent beginnings, the evening has turned out quite well. As, so I presume, it did for you?"

James looked away, blushing. "Yeah," he muttered. "So why are you so happy? Last I remember, Bella was mad at you for calling her absurd nicknames."

"It seems, Prongsie, that your thoughts and… er…." - Here, Sirius gave a cough that sounded surprisingly like "lips" – "were too entangled with a certain red head to notice that Bella and I have now resolved our differences."

"People who have almost no brain capacity shouldn't go insulting other people thoughts, Sirius," James retorted.

Ignoring his comment, Sirius asked, "So how is she?"

"What?" James asked, "Sirius, I know you're a bit on the slow side, but you really should be able to phrase a question so that I can understand it."

"Jamsie, please!" Sirius protested, "Stop trying to change the subject. I'm just wondering if she's a good kisser or not."

"Sirius Black! Is that all you think about?"

"I am male, am I not?"

"You know, sometimes I'm not sure….."

"Never mind. Don't answer that."

"Well you asked!"

"And now I'm un-asking."

"Un-asking? That's not even a word, Si."

"Well it is now."

"Whatever," James said, glad to be off the subject of kissing Lily, since he didn't quite know how to describe it himself. They drove in silence, until James reached his house. 

As he pulled up into the driveway, Sirius asked, "Mind if I crash at your place, Prongs?"

"Not at all," James said. He stopped the car and got out. Sirius followed him to the door. Once he was in bed, James fell asleep dreaming of Lily. Sirius was not so fortunate. He laid in bed, tossing and turning, wondering how Arabella really felt about him. _You'll just have to go see her tomorrow and find out. She must like you. I mean, come on, she let you kiss her._ With this decided, he rolled over and drifted off to sleep.

***************

The next morning, James was awoken by the feeling that something was sitting on his stomach. He opened his eyes to see a huge, shaggy black dog parked on top of him. "Sirius! Get off now!" he yelled. 

The dog jumped off the bed and then transformed into Sirius. Immediately, Sirius turned puppy dog eyes to James, "I'm hungwy, Jamsie. Feed me."

"My God, Sirius," James said angrily, "Go make your own food. I wanna go back to bed."

"I see," Sirius said, nodding his head wisely, "Our Jamsie was having some _very_ pleasant dreams wasn't he?"

"Sirius! Get OUT!" James yelled, pulling the pillow over his head.

"Fine. Fine. I'll let you get back to your imaginary shag with Lily," Sirius said, not moving an inch.

"Sirius Black! Do I have to remind you that none of the normal people on this planet dream in NC-17?"

"You're normal?" Sirius asked, then ducked behind the door as a pillow flew toward him, "All right. I can take a hint. I'm not wanted here. Goodbye." He slammed the door and stomped down the hall.

"More than one hint, Si-si-boo," James yelled after him.

"I told you not to call me that!" Sirius yelled back.

"Whatever, Si-si-boo," James called, laughing.

"Maybe I should just mention to Lily that I came into your room last night to find you groping your pillow and moaning, 'Oh Lily….'" Sirius threatened, coming back to the door of James's room.

"Ok ok!" James said, now genuinely frightened, "Please don't. I'll shut up."

"On one condition," Sirius said.

"Fine. What?"

"Make me breakfast."

James rolled his eyes, got out of bed, and shuffled downstairs. Once the eggs were cooking, he turned to Sirius, who was sitting at the kitchen table. "Was I really moaning Lily's name in my sleep?"

"Not that I know of. I just wanted you to make me food."

"You little wanker!" James said. "See if I let you eat any of this."

"Nooooo!" Sirius exclaimed, "I'll never do it again. I promise."

"Sure you won't."

"This time I'm serious."

"You're _always_ Sirius." ((A/N: Had to use that one. It's a classic.))

"I am?" Sirius asked, puzzled. A few seconds later, he laughed, "I get it! Clever, Prongsie."

"My God, you're a bigger dolt than I thought you were," James said, shaking his head. Sirius crossed his arms and began to pout, but James ignored him. Once the food was cooked, he tossed it on a couple of plates and brought them to the table. "There you go, boy." 

Sirius did not respond. He just grabbed a fork and began to eat. Within a few minutes, he was done. He jumped out of his chair, tossed his plate in the sink and said, "I'm off."

"Where to?" James asked, still eating.

Sirius blushed, "Arabella's." Before James could say anything, Sirius protested, "James, she was actually nice last night! We talked about, erm… stuff. Anyway, I kissed her and she was fine with it. I mean she just-"

"You KISSED her? And she LET you?" James exclaimed. "Sirius, love potions are illegal, you know."

"Jamsie!" Sirius said, mouth hanging open, "Do you doubt the infamous Black charm?"

"Well, no but-"

"I knew it would affect her sooner or later. Just you wait, and I'll have her-"

At this moment, Arabella apparated into the room. Sirius reddened and stopped mid sentence. "Hullo Sirius, James," she said. Then she beckoned to Sirius. With a satisfied smirk to James, Sirius turned and walked over to her. "And how are you doing this fine morning, Ma Belle?"

"Just wonderful, Sirius. Now listen, I need to talk to you _alone_," she said, looking pointedly at James. Catching her look, he stood up and said, "I was just finishing. I'll leave you two alone, just let me put my dishes away."

"James, would you mind going somewhere for a few hours?" Arabella asked, "Sirius and I have something to… discuss."

James's eyes widened and he winked meaningfully at Sirius, "Si, buddy. I never should have doubted you. You get 'em every time."

"What is he talking about?" Arabella asked, looking at Sirius.

"I think he means that… I, um," Sirius began.

"Nevermind, Bella. You don't wanted to understand the twisted working of this boy's mind. I'm leaving now," James said, grabbing his wand off the counter. He turned to Sirius, "How do I look, Padfoot?"

"And since when do you care how you look in public?" Sirius asked.

"I think I know what he means," Arabella cut in. "You wouldn't be going to visit a particular red-head, now would you James?"

James blushed, "Well I thought since you were gone that uh… Lily might need some company. So I uh…. Thought I'd go see her."

"It seems our plan is working," Arabella muttered to Sirius.

"Indeed it is, Belle o' Mine," he agreed. "You've really got it bad, Prongsie."

"Just answer my question, Sirius," 

"See you guys later," James said and then dis-apparated.

***************

A few seconds later, he apparated into Lily's living room. Glancing around, he discovered that it was completely empty. _Where's Lily? Hope she didn't go somewhere._ At this moment, Lily walked out of her bedroom, dressed in shorts and a tee shirt. Seeing James, she stopped dead in her tracks. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

James shook himself out of his study of her petite form and said, "Sirius and Bella threw me out of my own flat. So I thought that I'd uh…. Keep you company until they're… done." 

Lily's eyes widened, "Sirius and Bella are spending time together? That's—that's just great! You realize what this means, right?"

"Well, normally Sirius doesn't move that fast," James said, "He usually waits a couple of weeks or so."

"James Potter!" Lily exclaimed, "Would you get your mind out of the gutter for just a moment?"

"Sorry, Lily, I just-"

"James, this means our plan is working! And it didn't even take that long. We probably won't even have to do another one of those double dates."

"Won't have to?" James asked, hurt, "You mean you didn't…."

"Oh no!" Lily said, "Oh, James, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that, well um… I would rather have been… you know… alone." She looked down at the floor unable to meet his gaze.

Relieved, James grinned, "I believe I can arrange that. Wanna go get lunch together?"

Lily smiled, "Sure. Any particular place?"

"Nah. Let's just go walk around. I'm sure we'll find something."

"Sounds good to me."

*********************

"So, Bella, what is so important that you had to show up at my, er James's flat without any warning?" Sirius asked.

"I already told you," she replied, "We have something to discuss."

"Look, Bella, I can't sleep with you right now, but if you want to just fool around or something that's ok with me," Sirius teased her. ((A/N: Anyone recognize the Zoolander quote? I might not have gotten the words exactly right…))

Arabella rolled her eyes, and swatted his head. "Reality check, Black. Not every woman on the planet is desperately longing to get you in bed."

"They're not?!" Sirius asked, a look of shock on his face.

"Sirius, I know you find me maddeningly attractive, but I'm here to discuss Lily and James, not your sex life."

"You read minds?!" Sirius asked, still in shock. ((A/N: More Zoolander! Again, not sure if that's the exact phrase…))

Ignoring him, she continued, "I was thinking that, if we could just get them on another date together, then everything would click from there."

"True, true, ol' Jamsie was grinning all the way home last night," Sirius said, "So how are we gonna force them to go out again?"

"Well…." Arabella began reluctantly, "I was thinking that… if we pretended to be a couple…. Then we could have them return the favor and go on a double date with us… again."

"Is this your way of asking me out?"

"No! I mean… sorta… ok… yeah," Arabella finished lamely.

"Well alrighty then!" Sirius said with a grin, "So what's the plan."

"I don't know. That's usually the guy's job to figure out," Bella said, grinning cheekily at him.

"Pfffff," Sirius said, "You women are better at it anyway."

"Now that you've finally admitted my superiority, I'll tell you my idea," Bella said.

"Superio-"

She clapped a hand over his mouth and continued, "We're going to see a movie."

"A what?….. Moolie?"

Bella burst into laughter, "Mo-vie, Sirius. It's something Muggles do. I've seen some with Lily lots of times."

"What IS that?" Sirius asked.

"You must not have paid attention in Muggle Studies."

"Too busy planning the next prank."

"Figures. Any way, you'll see when we get there."

"Fine, fine. So we're going tonight?"

"Yessir. In fact, I'd better go so I can give Lily fair warning. We'll apparate over here at 7, ok?"

"Sounds good to me. See ya, Bella," Sirius said, giving her a quick kiss goodbye. Heart racing, Arabella pulled away after a moment and reached a shaking hand for her wand. "S-see ya, Si," she said and apparated. When she was gone, Sirius fell onto the couch, grinning in delight.

*************************

James just smiled, walked toward the door and held it open for her. Once outside, Lily's hand found its way to James's and they strolled down the street. They stopped outside a small, quiet café. "How 'bout this one?" James asked.

"Oh! I've been here before!" Lily said, walking in the door. "They have awesome subs." They sat down at a table near the window and a server soon came over to them. "What can I get you two today?"

"I'll take a turkey sub and a Pepsi," James said.

"Make that two," Lily added. ((A/N: I honestly have no idea what they normally eat for lunch in England, seeing as I'm an American and have never visited there.))

"All right. I'll be back with your order right away," the server said, walking away.

"So what's Phase II of our grand plan?" James asked.

"I dunno. It seems to me that those two are working out just fine on their own. They just needed a little push to get started."

"Yeah, maybe we should consider careers in matchmaking," James said.

Lily giggled, "I can see the headlines now, 'Quidditch star gives it all for love.'"

"Speaking of Quidditch, are you still going to try out for the Falcons? We could use another good chaser."

"I don't know. It was just an idea. I mean, I don't think I'd ever make the team."

"Aw c'mon. Don't sell yourself short. I think you're an excellent chaser."

"Yes, well you're a bit prejudiced don't you think?"

"True. Still, you really should try out. I promise to help you practice every afternoon before the try outs."

"You just want an excuse to spend more time with me."

"I do not!"

"Oh so you _don't_ like hanging out with me?"

"No, no. It's not that. I honestly want to help you."

"Aw, that's sweet James."

James grinned, "What can I say? I'm a very charming young man, you know."

"I think I'm beginning to figure that out," Lily said, giggling. At this moment, the server returned with their food. After lunch, they walked slowly home and once they reached Lily's flat, James leaned down and kissed her softly. When Lily pulled away they both grinned at each other for a moment. Then he sighed and said, "Be at my place at ten o'clock tomorrow and we'll begin training."

"All right," Lily agreed and opened the door. "See you tomorrow, James." He waved good bye and walked down the sidewalk. Closing the door, Lily sat down on the couch, waiting for Arabella to return. She didn't have to wait long. Ten minutes later, Arabella apparated into the room. Turning to Lily, she grinned and said, "Lils, it's payback time."

********************

James apparated into his living room to find Sirius sitting on the couch, a silly grin on his face. "What's with you?" he asked, plopping down next to him.

"All in good time," Sirius said, "Prongs, old friend, the time has come to pay your dues."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: This is a shout out to my bestest friend, Jenni. Aren't you glad I finished this chappie for you?! :D Cheers!


	8. An Evening At the Movies

A/N: Ok I think it's time to clear something up. I KNOW that Lily and James both went to Hogwarts together. So this fic is rather non canon. Let's just say that they went to Hogwarts together but he was 3 years older than her and… they ran in different crowds. I dunno, I'm just trying to do something different and non cliché. I am aware that the characters are rather cliché. I know that almost every L/J fic portrays Sirius as the egotistical lady killer, but I LIKE him that way, which is why I'm writing him that way. I do think my James is a bit different from the traditional egotistical most popular/wanted guy at Hogwarts.

'Nother little thought, just in case you're wondering who my model for James is… it's my current obsession, Orlando Bloom. Think about it, they've both got brown eyes and dark hair. And they're both hot as hell. Hehe. Now on with Chapter 7

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"Sirius, what the hell are you talking about?" James asked, "What's a… a moo… mo-vie?"

"Well if you would just shut up for a second perhaps I could explain," Sirius said exasperatedly. James complied, and he continued, "A movie is this…. Thing that muggles go to on dates. I don't really know exactly what it is, since Bella wouldn't tell me."

"Ok, so you're taking Arabella to a movie. What does this have to do with me?"

"Really, Prongsie, I would have thought you had it figured out by now. You and Lily are going to accompany us."

"Why?"

"Well…. Because Arabella and I went with you two on your first date. So now you have to come with us on ours."

"Sirius, if this movie thing is what I think it is, the answer is no."

"What?!"

"I refuse to spend an hour and a half listening to you and Arabella snog each other, especially not while I'm trying to sn-" here James fell silent.

"AHA!" Sirius said triumphantly, "Since you're obviously dying to snog Lily, the movie will be a perfect opportunity."

"All right, I'll go," James agreed, trying to feign reluctance.

"Excellent. Now you'd better get ready. They'll be here in 30 minutes," Sirius said, hopping off the couch to change clothes.

***********************************************************************

"Bella, are you _sure_ you want me and James to be there on your first date with the former most annoying man on the planet?"

"Well no, but you owe me one."

"I'll go, as long as James and I don't have to sit next to you two."

"Fine with me. I don't want to have to listen to you two."

"Bel_la_!"

Arabella grinned and stood up, "You'd better hurry and get ready. We're supposed to be there in half an hour."

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Exactly 31 minutes later, Lily and Arabella apparated into James's house to find an empty living room and exactly 31 seconds later, James poked his head in the back door. "You're late."

"Hello to you too," Lily said sarcastically.

James grinned and opened the door all the way. Striding towards Lily, he picked her up and crushed her lips beneath his. "This better?"

Pulling away breathlessly, Lily said, "Y-yeah…"

Arabella whistled, "Where's Sirius when you need him?"

"Right here, Belle O' Mine," Sirius said as he walked in through the open door. Seeing Lily and James he wiggled his eyebrows, "I thought you were just going to say hello to Lily, Prongsie…"

"Ah yes but, in the presence of such radiant beauty I couldn't help myself," James said, smiling at Lily, who blushed furiously in response.

"He's a goner," Sirius said to Arabella.

"And if I'm lucky, you'll be next," she replied.

"Then I guess today's you're lucky day, Belle O' Mine," Sirius said, putting him arm around her and leading her toward the car.

As they followed Sirius and Arabella, Lily whispered to James, "I told you all they needed was a jump start."

"Right as usual," he agreed. "We are definitely sitting faaaaar away from those two."

Lily giggled, "Not in the mood for spectators?"

"Of course not. I don't want you distracted from my handsome self."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Lily said, sliding into the passenger's seat and turning on the radio at the same time. "Oh my God! This is like, my favorite song in the world!" she exclaimed, and started singing along with the radio.

__

"She's my girl

A walkin', talkin' angel baby.

My girl

Not a minute goes by when she ain't looking pretty.

My girl

A 24/7 piece of heaven.

God never made another in this world

Quite like my girl."

"How did he know?" James asked softly.

"Hmmm?" Lily asked, still humming along with the song ((A/N: Yeah that was Billy Gilman's "My Girl" LOVE THAT SONG!))

Reaching over, he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. "Whoever wrote that song. How did he know?"

Understanding what he meant, Lily asked coyly, "Know what?"

"How did he know you look gorgeous all the time?"

"Well I don't really think he was singing about me…."

"Sounds impossible to me," James said, leaning over to brush his lips against hers.

"James, not every guy on this planet is waiting in line for me."

"Which is probably a good thing. That'd be a hell of a lot of asses for me to kick."

Lily giggled, "My knight in shining armor."

He smiled, "I never miss a chance to rescue a damsel in distress, especially one as lovely as you."

"Hey lovebirds," Arabella called from the back seat, "I hate to interrupt, but you drove past the theater three minutes ago."

James and Lily both blushed and pulled away from each other. James turned around and a few minutes later, they were walking out of the car, towards the theater. "So what exactly is this movie thing, Bella?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius, do you realize that's the 23rd time you've asked me in the space of fifteen minutes?"

"Yes, but I'm curious. And it's only the 22nd time."

"Whatever. Would you be satisfied if I told you if it involved a dark room with seats in the back row?"

"Depends on how much clothing you'd be wearing."

"And what if I said nothing?"

"Pinch me."

"What?"

"Pinch me. I must be dreaming. Did you just say you're going to strip for me?"

"Hell no, Black!" Arabella replied, slapping his wrist.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath.

"I hope your expectations weren't the same as Sirius's," Lily said to James.

"Nope. I'm content with the dark room. And several yards between us and those two."

"Good, because that's exactly what you're getting."

"That's it?"

"Potter, please tell me you didn't really think this involved taking of clothing."

"No, but I was expecting some snogging."

"Oh good. I believe I can take care of that."

"And that's exactly what I was expecting," James said as they walked through the doors. Inside, Sirius looked around, completely bewildered. "Wow. This place is wicked. What are we supposed to do?" In response, Arabella shoved a ticket into his hand. "What's this?"

"It's a ticket, genius."

"What's it for?"

"It's so you can see the movie!"

"Oh… you mean the strip tease?" he asked, with a teasing glint in his eye.

"Stupid prat," she muttered. "Come on." As she dragged him into the theater, Lily and James followed. Just as they walked in, the movie started and the lights went out. "Perfect timing," Sirius said, pushing her against the wall, and pressing his lips to hers. "You're supposed to wait until we're actually _seated_, Black." With a sigh, he released her. Grabbing her hand, he raced up the stairs to the back corner. "Is this good?"

"Yes," she said, sitting next to him.

"Uh uh, Ma Belle," he said, pulling her into his lap, "This is your seat."

"OK by me," she said, leaning back into his arms with a smile.

Meanwhile, Lily and James sat in the middle of the theater. "The best seats are in the middle," Lily explained. James, who honestly didn't care where he sat as long as it was by Lily, simply nodded. As they sat down, the previews ended and the movie began. James stared in awe as the people moved across the screen. "This is awesome."

Lily laughed, "I'm glad you like it. This movie's called _Zoolander_." ((A/N: I had too! I know that movie wasn't out in the 80s, when they would have been alive, but bear with me here. Call it artistic license.)) 

"Shhhhh," James said, focused on the screen.

"So you're not going to pay attention to me at all?" Lily asked, dissapointedly.

"Well you're the one who dragged here. If all you wanted was a snog, we could have just stayed at my place."

"I like a little variety now and then. And I didn't drag you here. That was Sirius and Arabella."

"I stand corrected."

"Good. Now shut up and kiss me," Lily said, sliding into his lap.

"Gladly," James replied, before covering her lips with his.

Around an hour and a half later, the lights went up as the movie ended. Slowly, Lily raised her head from its resting place on James's shoulder. "So what did you think?"

"About the movie or the snog?"

"Both."

"The first one was great, but I'd have to say the latter surpassed it by far."

"I'm flattered. I wonder how much of the movie Sirius and Bella actually watched."

"Almost the whole thing, for your information," Arabella replied, as she and Sirius walked down the row, with Sirius's arm comfortably around her shoulders. "_Someone_ found the movie _so_ interesting that he paid almost no attention to me for the entire 100 minutes."

"That was the most profound experience of my life," Sirius said solemnly, "I totally identify with that dude."

"Padfoot, please tell me you're not secretly brain washed to kill some random Asian prime minister."

"Well no, but I mean, Derek Zoolander and I have a lot in common."

"You're both rather dimwitted," Arabella said, "But other than that, I don't see anything."

"Ah, but you forgot to mention 'really, really incredibly good looking,'" Sirius added, mimicking Zoolander's tone of voice.

"You do that far too well," Arabella replied.

He smiled appealingly, "That's just one item on my list of talents, Belle O' Mine."

"Really now? Care to show me another?"

"But of course," he replied. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her openmouthed. She leaned into him, and met his tongue with hers, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oh get a room, you two," Lily said.

"Why don't we just leave them?" James asked. Lily nodded and they both stood up and left the theater quietly. Sirius and Arabella didn't notice, as they were both occupied with each other's mouths. When they finally broke apart, Arabella looked around in bewilderment, "Where'd they go?"

"Wha…….?" Sirius asked, still trying to regain his reeling thoughts.

"James and Lily. Where'd they go?"

Glancing quickly around the empty theater, Sirius swore and ran out of the theater, with Arabella close behind. Throwing open the theater door, he ran straight into a laughing James and Lily. "Fuck you Potter, you scared the shit out of me."

"Language, Padfoot," James said, shaking his finger at him. "What else were we supposed to do? Just wait for you two to finish?"

"Well it would have been polite."

"Sirius, I've been your best bud your whole life. I know how difficult it is for you to break off a snog with any girl, and I personally didn't want to wait around to see if you would break your record."

"Well ex_cuse_ me for being more successful in that area than you are, Jamsie."

"Psh. You have no idea what Lily and I did over the past hour and a half."

"Spare me the details, Prongsie," Sirius said, covering his ears.

"Sirius Black! Do you take me for a slut or something?" Lily exclaimed, swatting at his arm. "Keep your twisted thoughts to yourself please."

"Choose your words wisely, Sirius," Arabella said. "She's got a good right hook."

"I plead the fifth."

"The fifth?" the other three asked.

"It's something I learned in Muggle Studies. It means I'm choosing not to respond."

"You, Sirius Black, _learned_?" James asked in disbelief.

"Unlike _you,_ Pronsie wongsie, I am capable of absorbing knowledge."

"Call me that again, and you won't be much longer."

"Is that a threat, _Prongsie wongsie_?"

"Hell yeah."

"James, please, you're embarrassing me," Lily said, tugging at his arm.

"Sorry Lils," James said, "I was just trying to do the world a favor."

Before Sirius could retort, Arabella said, "Are we going home, or are we just going to stand here all night?"

"I, for one, vote for home," Lily said.

"And I second that motion," James added, as they began walking to the car. 

Walking through the parking lot, Lily asked, "So did you enjoy your very first move?"

"How could I not, with such excellent company?"

"Just wondering…." she said lightly.

"Fishing for compliments, eh?"

"Well you're not exactly reluctant to dish them out."

"I usually make a point to express my admiration of exquisite women such as you, Lily Flower," James said smoothly, putting his arm around her and pulling her close to him.

Lily smiled contentedly and tilted her head up for a kiss. As James leaned down to meet her lips, they heard several cameras go off. "Shit," he muttered, as voices called out: "Mr. Potter? Mr. Potter, can I ask you some questions for a minute?" 

***********************************************************************

A/N: And I'll leave you there. It's late. I'm sick of typing. I want to go to bed. Another shout out to Jenni: Was that enough snogging for you? ;)


	9. Paparazzi Problems

A/N: Well, I'm ecstatic to learn that so many of you share my sentiments about the devilishly handsome Orlando Bloom! For those of you who have doubts as to the color of James's eyes, here is my reasoning. ((Because I _know_ you want to hear it :P)) I am also a firm believer in Ginny/Harry-ship. So, since Harry has black hair and green eyes, and Ginny has red hair and brown eyes, I think James has brown eyes. That way, G/H would be L/J all over again, just with switched eyes. 

I wish I hadn't called the press in, it ruined a perfect night. But it was getting boring, so…. Yeah. I hate angst, so you won't be getting a lot of it in this fic. That would be a warning to all you angst maniacs. Hey maybe that's why I've never really enjoyed love/hate that much… Ok enough blabbing, on with the story….

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Reluctantly, James pulled away from Lily, shoving her into the car. "Let's go guys," he called to Sirius and Arabella. Everyone piled in quickly and they sped off, narrowly missing a few ambitious reporters who were under the impression that running in front of the car would make it stop.

Once they were on their way, Lily asked nervously, "What… what was the press doing James?"

"Isn't that obvious," he said, through gritted teeth. Then his expression softened, "Sorry, Lils, I didn't mean to snap at you." He sighed and explained, "Nosy reporters like that seem to find extreme pleasure in making the lives of celebrities, like myself, miserable. Particularly when there's a woman involved."

"Oh…." Lily said, "Does this mean my picture is gonna be in the paper tomorrow?"

"Oh God I hope not," James groaned. "Maybe they were only interested in those two," he said, pointing back to where Sirius and Arabella were cuddling in the back seat.

Lily laughed a bit, "Yeah… if we're lucky." The rest of the drive went in relative silence. Sirius and Arabella attempted to make conversation, but Lily was too busy worrying about tomorrow's headlines to participate. And James was preoccupied with wondering why Lily wasn't talking. When they got to Lily and Arabella's flat, James and Lily stayed in the car while the other two walked to the door. "Lily, I need to warn you…" James began. Lily looked at him, waiting for him to continue, "Right. Well, I wouldn't try to leave my house tomorrow morning if I were you."

"What?!" she exclaimed, "Why ever not?"

"At least one reporter must have followed us here, so they now know where you live. I'll bet you a hundred galleons that there'll be a mob of reporters camped outside your door tomorrow morning."

"Well what am I supposed to do? Just stay in the house all day? And what about Arabella?"

"I dunno, Lils…" James was silent for a moment. "You two could always apparate over to my place. Besides, you were supposed to come over any way to train for Quidditch. Arabella and Sirius can find something to do."

"Better lock the bedroom doors," Lily said, giggling.

"Thanks for the warning," he said, smiling. "So it's settled then?" Lily nodded her assent, and they walked up to the house. After a quick kiss goodbye, James returned to the car and Lily walked inside to find the living room dark. As she entered cautiously, a shuffling sound reached her ears. Shutting her eyes and clapping her hands over her ears, she yelled, "Sirius Black, you and Arabella had better finish what ever you're doing and be decent by the time I count to ten!"

"Geeze Lils," Arabella's voice came from the direction of the couch, "Why do you always have to expect the worst? Go ahead and turn the lights on now, I promise we're both fully clothed."

"You'd better be…" Lily said, flicking the light switch. Once the lights had flickered on, she saw Arabella standing by the couch and Sirius's legs and torso coming out from under it. "What the…?"

"He's looking for my lip gloss. It fell outta my purse and rolled under there," Arabella explained. Lily began laughing uproariously, "I heard.. I heard _sounds_ and I thought you two were… you know…" 

At this moment, Sirius popped out from underneath the couch, holding up a small plastic tube, "I got it!!" Lily and Arabella applauded and he stood up, taking a dramatic bow. "Thank you. Thank you. I would like to thank all the little people I stepped on while on my way up. And thank you to my friends, and fami-"

"All right, that's enough Sirius," Arabella cut in, snatching the lip gloss out of his hand. "Thanks, though."

"Thanks? That's all I get?" Sirius said petulantly.

"So you want me to kiss you right in front of Lily?" Arabella asked.

"Well no… I guess I'll have to take a rain check…"

"Now that I can do. But I will give you a tide over." So saying, she kissed him softly on the lips, pulling away after a moment.

"That's better…" he said, hugging her. "See you later, Ma Belle." Arabella gave him a quick squeeze then let him go. Once he was outside, on the way to the car, she turned to Lily. "So what are you gonna do about the press?"

"James said not to leave the house tomorrow. But he also said we could apparate over to Potter's Corner, since I'm supposed to go over there anyway to practice. And I'm quite confident that you and Sirius will find some way to amuse yourselves."

Arabella blushed. "Yeah. Wonder if he's any good at chess…"

"I guess you'll find out tomorrow," Lily shrugged. Then she yawned, "I'm going to bed. Something tells me we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Good idea," Arabella said, following her into the hallway. Twenty minutes later, they were both asleep. 

Lily awoke the next morning to the sounds of shouting outside her door. She stood up, rubbing her eyes groggily, and walked to the door. After one glance through the peephole, she shrieked and ran into Arabella's room, jumping on top of her snoozing friend. "Bella! Oh my God! There's twenty bazillion people outside our door." Groaning, Arabella rolled over and muttered, "Go 'way. Not ready to get…." She trailed off, pulling a pillow over her head. 

Lily rolled her eyes and yanked the pillow off of Arabella's head, "Get a move on, Bella. We'd better apparate to James's fast, or we'll be mobbed with questions from those idiots out there."

With a loud, exaggerated sigh, Arabella sat up. "Just let me change. You'd better get dressed too."

"Right. We might as well pack a suitcase. I have a feeling we'll be staying over there for a while."

"Lily!" Arabella teased, "You sure do move fast…"

"Oh shut up," she said, throwing a pillow at Arabella's head. She dashed quickly out of the room. Ten minutes later, Arabella, who was lazily getting dressed, heard the _thunk thunk thunk_ in the hallway outside her door. Throwing a shirt over her head, she opened the door, "Lily Evans! Why are you bringing an entire trunk full of stuff?"

"It's not _full_, Bella. I left space for you to put your stuff in," Lily said, rolling her eyes. She was not fully dressed and had brushed her hair and applied make up.

"Yes whatever," Arabella said, "Let me just pick out some stuff and I'll finish packing." Grabbing her wand off the dresser, she floated the trunk onto her bed and proceeded to throw various articles of clothing into it. "Bella! Your clothes will be all wrinkled!" Lily protested.

"So? I can always use that handy ironing spell to straighten them."

Lily merely shrugged and said, "Are you ready yet?" Nodding, Arabella waved her wand again and the trunk floated up into the air. Floating the trunk in front of her, Arabella followed Lily into the living room. "I guess someone will have to use the Floo network and bring the trunk along…" Lily said.

"I'll do that. You seem to have problems with falling out of fireplaces."

"I was hoping you'd offer…"

"I'm an excellent friend aren't I?"

"Very humble too."

"Yes, yes, that too."

"I was being sarcastic."

"Oh… yeah…"

Lily laughed, "Just get in the fireplace." Once Arabella was gone, Lily ran her fingers through her hair and apparated. 

********************

After breakfast, Arabella was sitting on Sirius's lap, in a big gray armchair. Grinning devilishly, Sirius asked, "Waddya say we give those reporters something to write about?"

"Sirius, if you are suggesting we make up some dirt on Lily and James to feed the paparazzi…"

"Do you really believe me capable of such a despicable act, Ma Belle?" Sirius asked, looking hurt.

"Yes…"

"You wrong me, dearest. I have more scruples than _that._"

"If you do, I have yet to see them…" Arabella said airily, her eyes twinkling. 

"But, Belle o' Mine," he protested, "You have only known me for a week. Give me some time. Besides, I was suggesting that we go out and prank the socks off those stupid reporters."

"You actually think you're capable of making them leave?"

"You are speaking to the _master_ prankster," he asserted, with an arrogant smile, "I am quite capable of making those damned reporters wish they had never even _heard_ of James Potter. Or Lily Evans."

"Sounds good to me, love," Arabella said, standing. "What exactly are your plans for these unsuspecting victims?"

"I prefer to improvise," he answered. Pocketing his wand and standing, he offered her his arm, "Shall we venture forth and wreak havoc, Mi'lady?"

Taking his arm, she smirked, "We shall. And woe to all who would seek to deter us."

"My sentiments exactly…" Arm in arm, they sneaked out the back door, planning in whispers. 

*******************

"Oh good, you brought a trunk," James said, as he showed Lily to the room she and Arabella would share.

"Why is that good?"

"Well uh… I was hoping you two would stay here for a while…"

"That anxious are ya?" Lily asked, flashing a teasing smile up to him.

"No. I mean yes, but… Aw c'mon, Lils. You know what I mean," said a now flustered James.

"Sorry, you're just so cute when your ears turn red like that," Lily apologized, a self-satisfied smile spreading across her face.

"Thanks. I think. Any way, my house has much better anti-intruder spells than your flat. I don't want to think what those reporters would do to you once they got inside."

"True, but I don't want to be a burden…"

"You're not," he assured her, "Believe me."

"Well in that case, I'll just plan to be here 'till Christmas."

"Um… ok," he agreed.

"Man, you must really like me," Lily commented, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah…" he said, mustering up his courage. "I do. I really do like you Lily. A lot. Yeah…" He trailed off, feeling incredibly stupid.

"Would it help if I said, 'Ditto'?" she asked, slipping her hand into his.

"It would."

"'Kay then ditto," Lily said, with a giggle. 

James simply smiled, breathing an inward sigh of relief. "So… ready for some Quidditch?"

"I was hoping you'd get to that. Just let me change."

"Alright," he said. Hiding a smile, he sat down on the bed, crossing his legs nonchalantly.

"James, get out! You can't _watch_!" she squealed.

"Fine," he said, with an exaggerated sigh, "But you never _told_ me to leave, so I thought…" Seeing the look of indignation on Lily's face, he grinned, "Relax, Lils, I was just teasing you."

"You still haven't left," she pointed out, crossing her arms.

"I'm getting there. I have to give you a goodbye kiss," he replied, bouncing off the bed to kiss her softly.

"James, you're going to see me again in like… two minutes."

"My point exactly. That is way too long to be out of your enchanting presence, Lily Flower."

She blushed and pushed him out the door, "Thanks, but you still have to leave."

"Fine. Fine. I'll meet you downstairs in two minutes."

"Yes sir," she said, as she shut the door.

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A/N: YES!!! I FINISHED IT!!!!!!!! Next chapter, S/A pranks and more L/J Quidditch. ((SOME of you actually LIKE reading the Quidditch parts. Oh well, there's no accounting for taste. :P))


	10. At Potter's Corner

A/N: Alright people, after reading Order of the Phoenix, and discovering that Arabella Figg is a Squib and an old lady, I have decided NOT to change my story line. And I am VERY pissed at Rowling for killing--… ok I'm not gonna spoil it for you people. ^_^ Anyway, at long last here is chappie nine! As a special treat to those who have been requesting the presence of Remus J. Lupin, I'm going to introduce him in this chapter.

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Three minutes after James had shut the door of her room, Lily appeared downstairs, dressed in Quidditch robes and holding her broomstick. "Late, Evans," James said from his seat on the couch. "Tisk, tisk. Promptness is very important to Quidditch team captains."

Lily rolled her eyes and poked him with the handle of her broom, "Knock it off, Potter." James fell to the floor and rolled around, moaning in pain, "My ribs. You broke them…" Lily raised her broom again, pointing it menacingly between his legs, "I can do a lot more damage than that if you don't get up." In a flash, James was on his feet, his broomstick in hand. "After you," he said, flashing her a charming smile. 

"Aren't you supposed to be holding a door open when you say that?" Lily asked, eyebrow raised.

"Not when we're apparating."

"Oh. Alright then." With a pop, Lily vanished, as did James a moment later. 

************

"Can you see 'em?" Sirius whispered, inching forward on his stomach.

"Yeah. My God, there's a lot of them," Arabella replied, "And why did we have to come up on the roof? We could have climbed a tree."

"A tree? But Bella… where is the excitement, the danger, the class in a _tree_?"

"Personally, I think the roof is far more cliché."

"Yes, but it's also easier to push people off of," Sirius said, a maniac glint in his smoky gray eyes.

"You wouldn't…" Arabella protested, scooting away from him.

He smirked and closed the space between them, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to the edge. "SIRIUS!" she shrieked, drawing the gazes of a few reporters in their direction. "Dammit woman," Sirius muttered and threw her down to lay flat on her stomach. Apparently, the reporters were too thick to look anywhere higher than their own heads, so Sirius and Arabella's hiding place was never discovered. When Sirius finally let her sit up, she glared at him, "You're the one who was threatening to throw me off." Sirius turned a pair of mournful gray eyes in her direction and she couldn't help but smile. "Fine, fine. I forgive you." At this he grinned delightedly and planted a resounding smack on her cheek. Laughing, she placed a hand under his chin and directed his gaze back to the reporters, "Focus, Sirius."

"Yes'm."

On the Quidditch pitch, James and Lily were busy discussing the finer points of the Nimbus 1000 when an ominous noise from the front of the house ended their debate. "Stay here," James ordered, mounting his broom. "It's probably the press and I don't want them hassling you." 

Throwing him a defiant glare, Lily mounted hers as well and kicked off, "I don't need a babysitter, James. I'm perfectly capable of handling those reporters myself."

James sighed, "Lily, have you ever dealt with the press before?"

"No," she replied, grudgingly.

"Then I rest my case," he answered, with a superior smile. Scowling, Lily turned her broom and flew straight at him. "What the-?!" he exclaimed, dodging out of the way. Pointing her broom back on course, Lily smiled sweetly at him, "Next time you smirk like that, I'll knock you off your broom." Rolling his eyes, James conceded and the flew towards the front of the house.

The sight that greeted their eyes was not one they had expected. A bewildered cluster of reporters stood in the middle of a mini snow bank, while a rain of snowballs fell on their heads from an unseen source. Interestingly enough, every time a snowball hit one of them, their skin would change colors. Lily almost fell off her broom, she was laughing so hard. As it was, she swerved rather dangerously and James instinctively swooped beneath her in case she slipped. Lily flashed him a smile as she righted herself and he grinned back. "Shall we take a closer look?" he asked.

"It would be the decent thing to do," she replied, "Have to make sure Sirius doesn't murder them in the process."

"Sirius?"

"Well who else would be pelting the paparazzi with snowballs? Your house elf?"

"True… he and Bella were plotting something while they were sitting in the armchair."

"How do you know?"

"I've known Sirius for years. He gets a certain look on his face when he's about to pull a prank on someone."

"Ah," Lily commented, bursting into a fresh fit of laughter as the snowballs turned into dungbombs. James inched forward to discover what had her so tickled and shook his head. "Next thing you know, he'll progress to rocks." 

Lily stopped laughing, "He wouldn't!"

James shrugged, "He's rather thoughtless sometimes. Very impulsive."

"Bella will set him straight," Lily said with complete confidence in her best friend.

James chuckled, "I'll bet she will. Well, since it seems our best friends have the press taken care of, would you like to go back to our Quidditch practice?"

Nodding, Lily turned her broom around, "Race ya," and sped off toward the pitch. Rolling his eyes, James followed but soon decided that he would much rather watch her fly than actually try to win. So he merely flew beside her, flattened out on his broomstick and pretending to be concentrating on beating her, while he was really sneaking glances at her out of the corner of his eye. _Exquisite…_, he thought, unable to tear his gaze from the flame colored tendrils that had escaped her ponytail and were now whipping across her face. Apparently, he had spoken his thoughts out loud. Lily turned her emerald gaze to his and asked, "What?" 

He smiled, "You. You're exquisite, Lily Flower."

Her cheeks flushed the faintest shade of rose. Then she smirked and looked forward again, "I'm still going to beat you." With that, she streaked past him and landed neatly on the grass below. Laughing, he landed beside her and they spent the next couple of hours zooming around the pitch. James was surprised to discover that, although he was a better player than Lily, there were still a few things he could learn from her. But it only increased his admiration for her instead of causing him annoyance as it might have with other girls.

Two hours later, Lily and James flew the short distance from the pitch to his back door. "Better knock," Lily said as James reached for the door knob.

"It my house!" he protested.

"Yes but we've left Sirius and Arabella in there for almost two hours," she replied, coming to stand beside him and knocking on the wooden door. "Just a minute," came a call from inside, along with sounds of scuffling. Sirius appeared at the door, his sleek black hair looking rather disheveled. "Where's Bella?" Lily asked, smirking.

"She uh… um… went upstairs…" Sirius replied lamely.

"Padfoot?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to let me into my own house or is she still not decent?" Blushing, Sirius flung the door open and walked back to the couch in the den. 

"Thanks, mate," James said as he and Lily entered the house. "Would you mind whipping up some lunch while me and Lily make ourselves presentable?" 

Sirius shrugged and trudged into the kitchen at the same time as Arabella came down the stairs. "Ah, Bella dearest," he said, leaning casually against the countertop, "Would you care to lend a hand? My supposed best mate has sentenced me to kitchen duty."

Bella grinned and bounded over to him, "Sure! What are we making?"

"Uh, Sirius, I don't think that's a good idea," Lily called as she made her way upstairs. "Bella is an expert in the art of meal-ruining."

"Thanks, Lils."

"Ah but, Lily Flower, you have never been exposed to be culinary talents," Sirius interjected, "I believe I can improve Miss Figg's skills by at least fifty percent."

"Fifty percent of zero is still zero," Lily retorted.

"Lily! Leave us alone," Arabella said, coming out of the kitchen to push her up the stairs. Smirking, Lily ran up the remaining few steps and into her room, leaving Arabella and Sirius to themselves. When she came down ten minutes later, the kitchen was a mess, chefs included. The countertop was littered with torn up lettuce and other vegetables that had spilled out of the overturned salad bowl. The can of spaghetti sauce had spilled all over the floor and the pot of water was boiling over. Striding into the kitchen, she found Sirius pressing Arabella back against the countertop, both of them deeply engrossed in each other's mouths. Fortunately for Lily, James came downstairs at this moment with an effective method of separating them. "Oi Padfoot! Your next issue of Playwizard arrived," he said. 

"Mmhmm," Sirius muttered, trying to decide if he liked kissing Arabella's lips or neck better. Suddenly, he dropped her and whirled around, "It did? Give it to me!"

James smirked, "Just kidding."

"Why you…" Sirius growled, running out of the kitchen to chase James, who chuckled and dashed off down the hallway.

Once they were gone, Arabella turned to Lily with a smirk, "You look awful nice for a casual lunch at home."

Lily blushed, "Well… we're _not_ at home. We're guests in James's home and I er… wanted to look… nice…"

"Which explains why you're wearing a skirt? And why your hair is all done up? And why you're wearing a suspiciously large amount of make up? And why y—"

"Bella I get it!" Lily yelled.

"Get what?" asked James, as he jumped over the back of the couch to hide from Sirius.

"Prongs, you bastard!" Sirius yelled, running into the den. "I was in the middle of a very nice snog with Bella and you had to ruin it!"

"You were supposed to be making lunch, _Sisiboo_," James shouted back, popping up from behind the couch.

"Don't call me that, _Jamsie wamsie_!"

"I can and I will, Sisiboo."

"Well I can and I will jinx your sorry ass right off, buster."

"Shut up!" Lily yelled. Both men turned their heads to stare at her, their faces pale. "Now that we're all acting our age again, would someone kindly assist me in cleaning up this mess?"

"Sirius and Bella can do it."

"Says who, Prongsie?"

"Says me, since this is my house and I am capable of making you wish you'd behaved."

Scowling, Sirius stomped into the kitchen and pulled out his wand to clean up the spilled salad and spaghetti sauce. Lily looked pointedly at Arabella who followed Sirius in to help. "Now that we have some time to ourselves…" James whispered into her ear. Hooking an arm around her waist from behind, he sat down on the couch, pulling her with him.

"You don't think they need supervision?" Lily asked, cuddling happily against him.

"They probably do, but I can think of better things to do than that," he answered, settling her comfortably into his lap.

Leaning forward, Lily brushed her lips against his, "Like this?"

"Good idea…" he murmured and covered her lips with his own.

"I see how it is," Sirius called from the kitchen doorway. "You just wanted us out of the way so you could ravish Lily."

Rolling his eyes, James pulled reluctantly away from Lily, "That and I'm starving. Now get back in there and finish your job."

"Snogging is supposed to make you happy, Prongs, not bossy."

"If a certain someone would hurry up and finish cooking lunch he might find himself rewarded," Arabella said.

"Point taken," Sirius replied with a grin and walked back into the kitchen.

"Now that that little problem is taken care of…" James said. Before he could resume kissing Lily a loud pop was heard, followed a millisecond later by a second one. A tall, sandy blonde haired man stood in James's living room, one arm around the waist of a slightly shorter woman with dark brown hair falling in soft waves past her shoulders. "MOONY!" Sirius yelled, rushing out of the kitchen and grabbing the other man in a huge bear hug. 

While Remus disentangled himself from Sirius, the brunette turned her cerulean gaze to James and Lily, who had pulled abruptly apart. "Someone looks snog happy," she commented with a broad smirk.

James groaned and Lily gave a small, meaningful cough which caused him to jump to his feet. "Oh yeah. Lily this is my mate, Remus Lupin and his wife Lina." At the mention of the word "wife," Remus grinned and pulled a smiling Lina into his arms.

"They've only been married for a week," Sirius explained in a stage whisper. Lily nodded sagely and smiled at the couple, "Pleased to meet you."

"You're not just another fan club member are you?" Lina asked suspiciously, when Lily shook her head she looked relieved. "That's good then."

"It's time he found someone to settle down with," Remus agreed.

"You mean so he can be as happy as you are, Mr. Lupin?" Lina asked, turning her head to smile at her husband.

"Exactly so, my darling little wife," he replied, leaning over her shoulder to kiss her.

"Knock it off, you two. This isn't your honeymoon," James groaned.

"I think it's rather cute…" Lily said.

"Speaking of honeymoons, how was yours?" Sirius asked, coming in from the kitchen, "Did you two see any of Paris, or were you both too _busy_."

Remus blushed and chuckled in embarrassment while Lina smirked, "Do you really want us to answer that, Sirius?"

"No he doesn't," Arabella answered as she sat in Sirius's lap.

Sirius whined, "But Bella…"

"Alright, _you_ might want them to answer that but the rest of us normal people don't."

Lina burst into delighted laughter, "You're perfect for him! Please tell me your name."

"Arabella Figg," Arabella replied, smiling at Lina.

"I'm Lina Lupin. And this factory reject standing beside me is my husband, Remus." Hearing this, Remus turned from his conversation with James. "Factory reject eh? You didn't seem to mind it last night…" he said, giving his grinning wife an eskimo kiss. 

"Snog fest!" Sirius crowed, crushing Arabella's lips beneath his. Remus and Lina were already dead to the world, which left a blushing James and Lily to scoot back together and resume their previous activities. Unfortunately, the timer chose this moment to begin beeping insistently. "My pasta!" Sirius exclaimed and bounded off the couch into the kitchen to tend them. 

"I'll set the table," Lily said, sliding off of James's lap. 

"Hang on," he said, grabbing her around the waist, "I have to show you where the silverware is."

"James, I think I can find it just fine by myself."

"Ok then I just want to come with you. Something wrong with that?"

"No," Lily replied, heading into the kitchen to get the plates and silverware. "Are you two staying for lunch?" she called over her shoulder to Remus and Lina, who were now sitting side by side the couch, smiling at each other.

"Huh? Oh.. yeah," Remus answered, not taking his eyes off of Lina.

"Hurry up, you two," Sirius called from his place at the stove, "It's almost ready."

"Yes sir. Right away sir." James replied sarcastically, taking down a stack of plates. "Wrong way, Lils," he called walking through the other doorway setting the plates down on the circular table in the breakfast room.

"Oh…" Lily said, following him.

"I never use the dining room unless I'm having a fancy dinner or something," James clarified. "It's too big."

Lily shrugged and began laying out the silverware as Sirius said, "Lunch is served!" Remus and Lina trooped in from the den and they all sat down around the table. 

"So do you guys want to do something after lunch?" James asked as they began to eat. "Sort of a triple date?"

"What did ya have in mind, Prongs?" Sirius asked.

"Well… I dunno…"

"We could all go down to The Grove," suggested Sirius. "Have a picnic… take a walk through the grounds…"

"Where do you live?" Arabella asked, sipping her water.

"It's a ways from here, so we'd have to apparate. I've got a house in the countryside. The building itself isn't much, but the grounds are beautiful."

"Sounds good to me," Remus said and everyone else nodded there agreement.

"Right then. After Prongs does the dishes we leave."

"Hold on, Padfoot. I don't remember volunteering for dish duty."

"Of course you don't. I just signed you up."

"I'll help you, James," Lily said soothingly, finishing up her meal.

"Bad idea, Lils. We actually want the dishes cleaned."

"Make another suggestive remark like that and you'll be cleaning the entire kitchen, Padfoot."

"Shutting up!" Sirius said, "But you two still have to do dishes."

"Anything to keep you quiet," Lily smirked.

"Well you could just show me the way to Bella's bedroom…"

"Sirius!" James bellowed, glaring at his best mate and effectively silencing him. 

From their side of the table, Remus and Lina were silently laughing into their hands. "Looks like you'll be cleaning the kitchen after all, Padfoot," Remus said.

"I suppose I could be merciful…" James said thoughtfully. "Nah."

"Why don't we all help?" Lily asked.

"An excellent idea!" Sirius said, "Listen to your girlfriend, James. She's brilliant."

"She's a keeper," James agreed, earning him a smile from Lily. "Well let's get these pesky dishes over with." One by one, they walked into the kitchen. After a few minor bubble fights the dishes were clean and they all apparated to The Grove.

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A/N: I FINALLY FINISHED IT! I'm so sorry for the delay guys. But be happy! I brought in Remus! By the way, Lina is my original character from my Hogwarts past roleplay. She's Remus's girlfriend there, since they're still in school. ((Shameless plug to follow)) If you want to join, go to: invisionfree.com/forums/mwpp. They're just about done with their seventh year but we've still got finals and graduation to finish. Be warned, I'm going to ask you for a character description before I accept you. I'm rather particular…


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